Welcome to episode three of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, titled “Sacrifices.” Lots to get through, so let’s get started:
We start on a news story covering the chaos in Nigeria resulting from President Udo’s assassination. The report says a warlord by the name of Ekon Ameh (Hugh Quarshie) and the death squads supporting him are unleashing havoc. Ameh’s expected to try and oust the new president, Okoli (Joseph Mydell).
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Turns out it’s Acting Director Wright (Betty Gabriel) watching the news story while on her way to Lagos with lobbyist Ade Osoji (Okieriete Onaodowan). Osoji says he appreciates being invited though it’s not a typical CIA kinda thing to do. Wright agrees but says that she needs to have someone with her who understands the country as well as President Okoli. Osoji quickly corrects her and says, “Better than he does.” Wow, conceited much?
Wright asks about his background. He says he was born in Lagos, in extreme poverty. He saw his father killed and almost became a soldier. But then Mormon missionaries came and helped restore the village and made it possible for him to go to school.
Osoji tells Wright that President Okoli feels he must carry on President Udo’s objectives of regaining Nigeria’s resources for its people. But Okoli’s blind to letting the country evolve. Osoji says Nigeria isn’t just a country, it’s a strategic hub that all world powers would like to possess. Then Wright gets a call informing her that former Director Miller (John Schwab) is dead.
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In Myanmar, Chao Fah (Louis Ozawa) also gets the news about Miller. His brother-in-law Soe Wai (Robert Ristic) comes in and says the new shipment’s in. Chao tells him to handle it, but Soe says Tin Tun (Jim Lau) wants Chao there. Chao’s ready to blow it off, but Soe says he thinks Chao had better go.
Back at Jack’s (John Krasinski) place in D.C., Greer (Wendell Pierce) is there and asks Jack what he’s gonna tell everybody about Miller. Jack says he has no idea. Greer looks at the newspaper saying Miller committed suicide and everybody seems okay with running with that for now. Just then, Mike November (Michael Kelly) shows up with coffee for everybody, and Greer’s literally like, WTF is he doing here?
Jack says they need the help, especially now that they know the convergence theory isn’t just a theory. They need to find Ding Chavez (Michael Peña). Greer’s like, yeah, right. He has known guys like Ding his whole career. He won’t be found if he doesn’t want to be.
But Jack’s confident since he thinks he already knows what Chavez is up to – he’s going to find Chao Fah. So they need to find him too. Jack asks them to wish him luck on the way out the door. Then we cut to San Luis Obispo, California, where Ding shows up at his uncle Enrique’s (Carlos Kaniowsky) to grab some guns and money he has stashed.
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In Myanmar, Chao and Soe arrive at the port to meet Tin Tun, who says the “powers that be” have requested that Chao inspect the shipment. Turns out the shipment is a group of women. Trying to hide his disgust as they prepare to use a firehose on them, Chao says he won’t do it there. When Tin Tun asks why, Chao coolly covers with, “because sometimes they catch a chill and die.”
At the White House, Jack meets with a frazzled President Bachler (David Badella), who’s understandably upset about Miller. Jack says Miller wasn’t a spy, he was more of a puppet. The Prez wants to know who for, but Jack doesn’t know yet. And then he tells him the only way he’ll be able to find out – is to quit.
Of course, the Prez is like, what, now? Jack says that the Senate Intelligence Committee has their sights set on him and he needs to step away in order to protect Wright. The Prez is like, so I’m supposed to just leave that position open? And Jack’s like, don’t worry, I got you a perfect replacement.
Cut to perfect replacement Greer showing up at his son’s (Anthony J. Abraham) football game. Junior’s pleasantly surprised to see him there, but then Greer gets a call from the Prez no less and of course, has to leave. So he’s just messed up another opportunity to make things right with his son as Junior watches his dad take off.
Wright arrives at the Presidential Palace in Lagos and meets President Okoli, who says he watched her speech. He says if she’s sincere, she’ll be the most enlightened director the CIA’s had since its inception. He asks Wright what it’s like to be a black woman in her position in America. She simply and eloquently replies, “Empowering…stressful…isolating.”
Just then, warlord Ekon Ameh walks in, and Wright’s taken way off guard. Ameh says he’s there to let her know his hands are clean. He didn’t kill President Udo, and Wright says, “Neither did we.” Okoli says that’s the real reason she’s been called there – to find out who did.
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Back in Cali, Ding’s getting ready to leave when he senses somebody behind him. He whirls around, gun trained – on Mike November, who’s got a gun on him too. Mike says Jack sent him, and Ding’s like, how’d you find me? Mike says Jack told him about a tattoo on Ding’s arm. He did the research, which led him to Uncle Enrique. Ding’s impressed. Mike’s like, yeah, I know. I’m an impressive guy.
Back in Myanmar, Chao Fah and his wife Kyi (Jacelyn Parry) talk outside where the bugs can’t pick them up. Kyi asks when Chao’s gonna contact Ding to get them out. Chao says he doesn’t even know if Ding’s still alive. Even if he is, everyone is watching them, including her brother. Chao says he needs to convince Tin Tun that he isn’t a traitor but isn’t quite sure how to do it yet.
Wright calls Greer, who’s now at Langley settling into his new gig as Deputy Director. Wright tells him one of President Udo’s assassins had a burner phone on him and to find out who it belonged to. Then she congratulates him and tells him to stop calling her “ma’am.” Greer drops his tough-guy façade long enough to say how honored he is to have the job.
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Wright meets with Okoli again and warns him about following President Udo’s path, saying that he might be the next in line for assassination. She says perhaps compromise might be the best way forward, and he asks if that’s how she attained her position. But she says she hasn’t yet attained her position.
Back at Langley, tech guy Patrick (Adam Benett) tells Greer about one phone number that keeps popping up in the burner phone’s records – Biz Hub. Then Jack walks in to congratulate Greer and gets a call from Mike, saying he found Ding. So Jack dashes back out, on his way to Cali.
Greer goes out to Biz Hub in Bethesda and talks to the receptionist guy (Grant Harvey). He finds out that Biz Hub is just one of the offices in the flex space, which houses a bunch of small businesses. Greer gets a list of the offices and leaves – and who should be watching him but the mysterious Mr. Walters (Michael McElhatton), who calls somebody asking what should be done.
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Jack arrives at the Chavez’s place and meets Uncle Enrique, who asks if Jack will keep his nephew safe. Jack says he was hoping it would be the reverse, actually. Jack tells Ding they need to talk but Ding’s like, later. He wants to enjoy the evening, since he may not get another chance to have a nice evening. So have a beer and shut up, Jack. The next morning, Jack finds Ding out doing some target practice and tells him the Prez has charged him with stopping the convergence threat.
Jack says Chao Fah is the only way to do it, and the only way to him is through Ding. Ding says he has no way to contact Chao directly, so they’ll have to send a signal. Jack asks what kind of signal and Ding’s like, well, I figured I’d climb the Triad’s operational ladder and burn every rung all the way to the top. Ding also says his cousin Marin (Rodrigo Carrico) knows about The Marketplace, where he first met Chao Fah. So they’ll have to go to Mexico. Jack calls Cathy on his way to the jet but can’t reach her.
Cathy’s (Abbie Cornish) in the middle of her lunch meeting with Zeyara Lemos (Zuleikha Robinson), who talks about the casinos in Myanmar, how they launder money for drug dealers and human traffickers, and how drug usage is ruining the country. Lemos says if only someone like Cathy was around when her mother was young, what a different life she would’ve had.
Lemos says the WHO (World Health Organization) is the only organization willing to risk its safety to help, and asks Cathy if she would be that help. Cathy says she’s learned that “risk isn’t the downside of a relationship. It’s the foundation,” and agrees. Hmm. Think maybe she was talking about Jack?
Back in Myanmar, Soe drives Chao Fah out to a wooded area and tells him he knows he’s trying to get out with Kyi and Bennu (Ryn Greenwell). Chao asks what he plans to do, and Soe says he’ll let him go. Chao’s like, “let me go?” And Soe’s like, yup. We’ll go to work like usual and you just leave. Chao’s like, what about my family? And Soe’s like, they’ll stay in Myanmar with him. Chao offers to take Soe with them, but he’s like, nope.
So Chao agrees to do things his way – and then shoots him.
Meanwhile, Ding arrives at that same dive cantina in Mexico to meet Lt. Morales (Joao Didelet) and drops a duffel full of cash on the table. Ding tells Morales he needs him to get to Marin. They go to the police’s warehouse where Jack and Mike are waiting. Morales gets them uniforms and weapons, so they look like police officers. Mike’s psyched, saying he always wanted to be a Federale. Jack’s like, oh, so CIA was second on your list? Mike’s like, fourth. Ah, the awesomeness that is Mike.
In Lagos, Wright has a drink with Osoji, and he asks what she’s willing to sacrifice to get her confirmation. And he suggests that the reason she’s there is to show the world how she’s different. Wright says she’s different because she faces the world without pretense. She says it’s not a sacrifice, it’s realism.
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Tech guy Patrick finds Greer waiting for him at his favorite coffee shop and tells him he needs him to decipher Miller’s secret code. He also says he needs to find the connection to Biz Hub – oh, and for Patrick to switch to decaf.
Back in Mexico, the cops blast their way into the port and Morales confiscates everything. Then a very unhappy Marin shows up and demands to know WTF is going on. Morales leads him to a room where Jack, Mike and Ding are waiting. Marin says Ding’s a traitor to the memory of his father and Ding’s like, yeah, well, all the memories I have of my father are bad ones.
Then Jack asks him about The Marketplace, and Marin’s like, who the hell are you? Jack introduces himself and Marin has no idea who he is. But then Mike snaps a photo and Jack’s like, I don’t think the cartel will like seeing you hanging out with the CIA.
Marin plays dumb about The Marketplace, so Ding grabs him and shoves him into a machine that wraps his head in plastic. After nearly suffocating to death, Marin gives up the location – Dubrovnik, Croatia. Ding thanks him and then asks for the password to his phone. When Marin hesitates, Ding flicks out a knife and says he could just take off his thumb instead.
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Meanwhile, back in Myanmar, Chao Fah shows up at Tin Tun’s place and dumps Soe’s dead body on the floor, saying “I found your mole.” Yikes.
Back on the plane, Jack calls Wright and tells her they’re headed to Dubrovnik to find Chao Fah. Wright says she won’t be able to help him since he quit, and Jack’s like, I know.
Greer tries calling his son, who’s understandably pissed. Greer apologizes for leaving the game but his son’s like, whatever, and hangs up. Then there’s a knock at the door and who should it be but the mysterious Mr. Walters, who pulls a gun on him and tells him simply, “Stop.” Greer’s about ready to launch himself at him, saying how you dare come to my house. And Mr. Walter’s like, dude, I know this isn’t your house and I know where your family is. So just stop already. Then he leaves. And all Greer can do is fume.
***
The best parts of this episode were definitely getting Jack, Mike and Ding together to kick some nasty cartel butt. Marin getting shrink-wrapped almost to death was a great scene. Also watching Wright continue to navigate the ever-murkier political seas and slyly talk her way around the slick, verbose Osoji is always fun to watch.
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Seeing Greer ready to full-on tackle Mr. Walters was awesome. I only wish he’d actually done it. But I guess that’ll probably come later. And the biggest surprise, of course, was how super cold Chao did his brother-in-law. I mean, wow. But once again, Louis Ozawa impresses with his ability to be all at once a bad guy and a good one. He’s the very definition of an antihero – and one I definitely want to see more of.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is currently streaming on Prime Video.
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